NetSuite : Sourcingpartner Implements NetSuite in 95 Days, Ensures Successful Back-to-School Season

Posted by Ranga Bodla, Industry Marketing Lead, NetSuite

Take a second to consider what's more difficult - managing 32,000 parts in a 75,000-square-foot warehouse with legacy systems that frequently requires workers to track quantities by hand; or implementing a new warehouse management system in just three months to automate those processes and create efficiencies in time for the company's busiest part of the year.

Most IT veterans would say the latter - remembering months or years-long projects launching on-premise systems. Even those who had worked on cloud-based software projects would likely see that as an unattainable timetable to implement a system that would manage complex wholesale distribution processes for a business doing $7.5 million in revenue.

But for Sourcingpartner, a Dallas-based wholesale distributor who partners with some of the largest office supply businesses in the world, the combination of NetSuite and the SuiteSuccess implementation metholodology allowed it to buck conventional wisdom.

'We really wanted to make sure we had the system in place prior to big activities happening during that back to school time table,' said Steve DiPasquale, Sourcingpartner's CEO. 'It was implemented in perfect timing.'

With pre-built roles, dashboards reports, and industry-specific leading practices, SuiteSuccess enables NetSuite customers to jump start their implementation. to To guard against cost and scope creep, SuiteSuccess projects are quoted on firm, upfront costs, a contrast to the common approaches by competitors who bill on time and materials.

From an implementation standpoint, (SuiteSuccess) doesn't start customers at the goal line anymore. It starts them at the 30-yard line leveraging lessons learned from implementing thousands of wholesale distribution customers.

Wooed by SuiteSuccess, Sourcingpartner picks NetSuite over Epicor

It was a perfect solution for Sourcingpartner. As it added new product lines and international customers, SourcingPartner had outgrown the integrated Microsoft NAV and Zendesk system managing its inventory and logistics, and new systems were needed in time for the busiest part of the year - just a few months away.

With the SuiteSucess methodology, Sourcingpartner went live with NetSuite Wholesale Distribution Edition on time and under budget in 95 days in July 2016, implementing warranty and repairs, shipping integration, materials management and mobile inventory and logistics management. The speed and cost of the implementation, coupled with NetSuite's ease of use and customization, led it to choose NetSuite over Epicor. It also wanted a cloud-based application that would minimize IT infrastructure and maintenance costs, as well as give it the agility to move at the speed its business demands.

Pre-built dashboards gave executives the ability to monitor key business metrics from day one, to reduce errors and streamline processes. It deployed 19 devices for mobile inventory management which it expects will expedite pick, pack and ship processes tremendously. Customers can also access real-time order and account information through a secure, self-service portal.

Internal users also appreciate the self-service access afforded through SuiteAnswers, a rich support and training database, which has streamlined training, increased adoption and empowered users.

'Everything went much smoother than our Microsoft implementation. I've had nothing but good comments from everyone involved and I'm so glad we switched,' said Richard Gardner, Director of Customer Service for Sourcingpartner.

Scalability for B2B ecommerce

With solid back-end processes, Sourcingpartner is poised to expand customer-facing innovations, with plans to implement B2B ecommerce with SuiteCommerce. It can also confidently carry out growth plans - which include the goal of acquiring another company within the next year.

'Not only is the system outstanding, but SuiteSuccess is really one of the most outstanding ways to get where you need to go,' DiPasquale said.

Take a look at Sourcingpartner's business and hear about its NetSuite implementation in this video and read about its SuiteSuccess implementation in this case study.